THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

August 11th 1937

Dear Mr Wilkinson

I find I have been a year & a half answering your letter!¹  Now at last I am reconsidering the ballet.²
My suggestion is to cut out Scrooge altogether  – call the Ballet “Xmas Eve” or some such title – keep all the first part up to the end of the procession of the 3 Kings (cutting the few bars which apply to Scrooge) then devise a new scheme to incorporate as much of the present music as we can.
As regards your detailed criticism
(1)  Entrance of characters – I dont feel we want more here – we don’t want their identity grasped too much – they simply flit across the stage – after all they all appear again in the ball scene & we can ‘identify’ them then.
(2)  Personally I like the idea of the children dancing Hunsdon house – something prim to “show how nicely the children can dance” (of course it did not get a fair chance with those lumpy children) – I don’t believe we need always represent children as being rowdy – & they have a chance of being rowdy immediately before & after.  Perhaps H. House is too long – it cd easily be shortened and/or a quick dance added (they introduced “Black Nag” in America) – but I am liable to persuasion on this point.
(3) The prayer scene I still like – I know it is sentimental – but very Dickensy & after all the whole thing is sentimental – again I am open to persuasion.
(4) I like all the characters appearing in the Apotheosis – like the “donore” in Italian ‘Santa Famiglia’.
(5)  I think the “Bacca pipes” jig in the Ball scene is too long – but this can easily be put right by optional cuts.
(6)  If we keep Scrooge we must certainly introduce Cratchit & I dont think I feel up to that – besides a scene like that wd become drama & cease to be ballet (also I don’t think I cd  stomach Tiny Tim).
I suggest for title Xmas Eve (suggested by scenes from Dickens’ ‘Xmas Carol’).
I return your letter as you may want it to identify my points
Yrs sincerely

R. Vaughan Williams³

1.  See VWL864. For VW’s holding response see VWL866.
2.  On Christmas Night, Catalogue of Works 1926/2.
6.  This letter, without the final sentence, is printed in Catalogue of Works pp.122-123 together with a note by Michael Kennedy on the end result of the discussion.